Artemis II — NASA Crewed Lunar Flyby Mission

Launch Window (Current Target): 06:24 PM - EST

• Launch Vehicle / Spacecraft: SLS (Space Launch System Block 1) + Orion spacecraft 

•  Mission Duration: ~10 days 

• Mission Profile: A crewed flyby around the Moon (no lunar landing), testing Orion’s systems with astronauts aboard in a deep space environment

Historic Milestone: Artemis II — First Crew to Venture Beyond LEO Since Apollo 17

• First Crewed Orion Flight: Artemis II will mark the inaugural crewed mission of NASA’s Orion spacecraft—a vehicle built to carry astronauts on deep space missions. 

• Return Beyond Earth Orbit: It will be the first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) since Apollo 17 in 1972—a gap of over fifty years. 

• Lunar Flyby Trajectory: The mission will send four astronauts on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, testing life-support, navigation, and deep space systems with crew aboard Orion. 

• Enduring Legacy: Artemis II stands as the bridge between the Apollo era and the next generation of lunar exploration. It resets humanity’s path beyond LEO, laying groundwork for future lunar landings and journeying further into the solar system.

Learn more go to www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/